Bambara Restaurant News & Reviews

"Lunch like a lord, pay like pauper: Stylish Bambara's power lunch includes an appetizer, entree - there's lots to choose from, including wild salmon and crab burgers and spicy buttermilk fried chicken wraps - and a baked item to go. Perfect for mid-afternoon snacking."

Please click on the link below to view Chef Silva's video featured on NBC's The Feast, Boston wherein Chef Jay Silva got "heated" for Easter Sunday!

"Who said you can't have a fun night out and still praise the planet?  Mix it up with sustainable cocktails".

"Christmas is coming and the long-forgotten holiday goose is getting fat - at least for Bambara chef Jay Silva and lucky patrons at tonight's charity dinner."

"Bambara chef Jay Silva remembers his grandmother cooking goose and hopes to return to the tradition this holiday season."

IN BOSTON, CHEFS HAVE ALWAYS had each other's backs. Whether at charity events or cook-offs (Chefs in Shorts, held this year on June 25 at the Seaport World Trade Center, is a perennial favorite), it's not uncommon to see 10 toques piled into one kitchen or toasting one another as they grill.

But lately they're not content to just pal around at galas: Many chefs are working one-on-one with their friends. This winter, Il Casale's Dante de Magistris plated meatballs at Stella during the latter restaurant's Monday Night Supper Club; during this spring's Chefploitation series at Bambara, Ginger Park's Patricia Yeo sautéed dumplings alongside chef Jay Silva.

"This drink is seasonal, refreshing and light. St. Germain and champagne together is a favorite combination of mine. It's effervescent and sweet without being too overpowering, and an ideal way to start any Mother's Day.''

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Bambara throws a weeklong environmentally-friendly little shindig at their riverside restaurant. Book a table between April 19th and 23rd to enjoy an all local three-course Earth Week menu from chef Jay Silva. Courses, which highlight seasonal, local ingredients like Island Creek oysters and early spring veggies fresh from Verrill Farms, will be accompanied by biodynamic wines so you can sate the cravings of the palate without damaging the planet.  

“Taking more of a figurative folklore stance on the whole “global” thing is the Mother Earth cocktail ($10) at Bambara. Organic vodka, Maker’s Mark, and Aperol get a gleeful squeeze of fresh tangerine juice, with agave nectar once again sweetening the deal. This socially conscious concoction debuted on Earth Day, of course, and helps make the world a better place to drink, once cocktail at a time.”

It can be hard sometimes to justify the enormous amount of energy that goes into producing the food and beverages you find at most bars and restaurants. In recent years, of course, many places have begun incorporating eco-friendly practices into their operations as demand for locally grown and organic products has increased. Now, green-minded drinkers might ease their conscience further by imbibing at Bambara.

THE BEST!

Grilled focaccia from Iggy's is the foundation for this savory bruschetta created "on the fly" by executive chef Jay Silva. He mixed chopped grilled asparagus with truffle butter, black summer truffles, ricotta, and Parmesan, heaping a spoonful of the concoction on top of the focaccia, which he is careful to leave soft inside.

Each Sunday, Bambara offers a special that includes a cheeseburger with a pint of local Harpoon IPA, for only $9.

“Bambara has all the warmth and friendliness of your favorite neighborhood hangout, albeit one that's had an extreme interior makeover to reflect the bounty of its menu. Chef Jay Silva weaves simple, clean flavor with eye-grabbing presentation to create wonderful mouthfuls.”

"...Silva grew up as one of 10 children, so cooking during the holidays was always a team effort. "Thanksgiving was a huge event. We would have 30-40 people come by. The stuffing was the headliner." Using his fond childhood memories for inspiration, Silva recreated his dad's famous stuffing for his extended family here at STUFF (hey, we could well be, like, 12th cousins twice removed)."

We don't always want to finish the cocktails we try on the job, but that one was gone in a flash.

That's an experience we replicated at Bambara with their Bambara Mama (Flor de Caña 7 year rum, coconut, banana puree, pineapple puree), a drink we enjoyed so much we ordered another one immediately. Normally, we'd look down our nose at a frozen daiquiri-style drink like this, but something about the smoothie-like texture of this warm weather cocktail, made with the always delicious Coco Lopez coconut milk, completely bowled us over. And since they're offering this one at one cent with the Restaurant Week menu, there's really no excuse not to try it. More important, we found something we didn't know we'd like. During Restaurant Week that's the whole point.